Allman all set to solo at Footstock

Craig Marine, EXAMINER STAFF CRITIC

Published 4:00 am, Friday, May 17, 1996

Gregg Allman has played before some sizable crowds in his 27 years with the Allman Brothers Band, but Sunday's performance at Footstock, before perhaps 150,000 people - give or take the stray caterpillar or Transamerica Building - ranks right up there at the top. And to his mental advantage, after spending the past few months on tour with the Brothers, he'll be performing without them at the post Bay to Breakers festival.

"It's a wonder we haven't killed each other by now," said Allman with a laugh from a tour stop in Chicago.

"It's like a marriage - there are a lot of good times and some real rough spots along the way. But we seem to be able to overcome whatever social problems that might come up between people and concentrate on the thing that brought us together in the first place, the music."

The band's tenure has had some notoriously stormy periods, but since they reformed in 1989 after a several-year lull, most of the acrimony has been set aside, leaving their legions of fans - old and young - to enjoy the unique blend of music.

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"Easily the most rewarding thing about being out there playing now is seeing the way the music has spanned the generations," said Allman, the blue-eyed, blond-haired leader of the band. "A lot of these kids we see at our shows now weren't even born when we started the band. That's something that feels really good."

Allman has always enjoyed a sizable following as a solo artist, with his rich, Southern-drenched, soulful blues vocal style setting him apart from the pack. And rarely does he give a solo performance in the Bay Area - his adopted home since 1990 - without some of his many musical friends showing up to join the party. Sunday will be no exception. And while the legendary night owl might have a few qualms about performing at such a relatively early hour ( "Yeah, that is a bit on the early side," he laughed), his 11 a.m. performance will be the most anticipated moment of a long day of fun.

Being in an established group with an established fan base affords Allman the luxury of avoiding the latest musical trends to come along, which doesn't mean he doesn't have strong opinions about what's available these days on the music scene. Rap music, for example, is decidedly out as far as Allman is concerned.

"Rap is just short for crap," he said forcefully. "I thought it would be dead by now, but it's still hanging in there. I wish it would go the way of disco and just disappear. They make the mistake of bringing a racial element into the music, which is unforgivable as far as I'm concerned."

At any given time on his car's 10-CD player, you're likely to find quite a mix of musical styles. "I'll probably have some Otis Redding, maybe some James Brown, Tracy Chapman or even some Pink Floyd," he chuckled. "There's no telling what might be on there."

Allman laughed when he mentioned Brown, remembering one cross-country plane trip when the two men were the only passengers in the first-class section of the aircraft.

"I heard his whole life story," he said, "and I wanna tell you, it was one hell of a life."

Bring up his ex-wife Cher, and Allman is most gentlemanly, considering the brief tenure of their marriage. "We're really good friends now," he said. "We get along great. She's great."

And even though two of his sons are pursuing musical careers of their own, Allman doesn't have much faith in the music business these days. "The recording industry is my least favorite subject," he said. "You have a bunch of people who know nothing about music trying to force people to play whatever happens to be popular at the moment. It stifles creativity. I know with our band, we stuck to what we wanted to play. We went hungry for a long time, but ultimately, we prevailed. Nowadays, if I was just starting out, I would seriously be thinking about looking into some other line of work - it's that bad."

Luckily for his fans and the legions at this weekend's festivities, Allman doesn't have to start thinking of a change in careers at this late date - which should make for a great show.

Footstock begins at 8:30 a.m. at the Polo Field in Golden Gate Park and lasts until 1 p.m., with comedian Bob Sarlatte serving as emcee. Gregg Allman and friends take the stage at about 11 a.m.&lt;

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